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28 Hartford Business Journal • April 27, 2020 • www.HartfordBusiness.com CONNECTICUT HEALTH CARE: LEADERSHIP IN A TIME OF CRISIS Leadership in a Time of Crisis The Connecticut Nurses' Association honors nurses and all healthcare workers on the front lines in all practice settings, including hospitals, long term care facilities, and home care. Every day these heroes step up to care for patients across the state. Their professionalism, commitment and a sense of duty is heroic and truly remarkable, but not unexpected! This is what nurses and healthcare professionals do, they show up to provide care. All the time. No matter what. With this pandemic comes unique challenges and under- standable fear. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is the tool, the armor, that allows health care providers to safely care for patients regardless of the infectious disease. The PPE shortage coupled with combating a new virus has cre- ated fear of the unknown, confusion with CDC's changing PPE guidelines, exhaustion from working under demanding circumstances, one on one with patients in closed rooms and 'space suits' for long 12 hour shifts, the grief they feel as they comfort patients at the end—being the only person with them, witnessing the passing of many patients and the understandable fear of getting sick themselves and trans- mitting the virus to their families at home. Despite personal concerns, nurses are there for you. These are the times when the CT Nurses' Association works harder than ever on the nurses' behalf. As the professional organization representing the more than 65,000 nurses in CT across all settings. Each day we are elevating nurses voice as we work with the Governor, and members of his team, the De- partment of Public Health, the CT Hospital Association, the CT Medical Society, Long Term Care, Home Care, EMS and all the health care partners to address real time issues. An example of these issues is the rapid mobilization of PPE. In addition, we're fighting for additional supports for the workforce, advocating for immunity for nurses and caregivers that are working in different settings, mobilizing workforce through the Medical Reserve Corp, eliminating barriers so all nurses and health- care professionals contribute. We are also working with our partners to address the mental health needs of care givers and families as a result of this pandemic. We will continue to advocate for nurses and the public's health. 2020 is the year of the nurse — honoring Florence Night- ingale — the mother of minimizing the impact of infectious disease. Let's all step up to support nurse heroes that have stepped up for us, for those who have gone to work every day, not gone home, saved lives and not seen their families in these understandably scary times. Let's show them that we recognize the sacrifice, their knowledge, their skill, their commitment. Help us-help them. Please donate to the CT Nurses' Foundation Nurse Hero Fund ctnurses.org. They say in times of crisis you see the best and worst in people. Nurses' have been the number one trusted profession year after year and this year, we're seeing why — nurses are of amazing character, professional integrity and step up to care for the health of our communities! CT Nurses' Associa- tion could not be prouder of our nurses! Sincerely, The Connecticut Nurses' Association Stephanie Paulmeno, DNP, MS, RN, NHA, CPH, CCM, CDP, President Cynthia Holle, DNP, MBS, RN, Vice President Jeanette Lupinacci, EdD, CRRN, Treasurer Julia M. Rosa Ed.D, RN, Secretary Kimberly Sandor, MSN, RN, FNP, Executive Director 1224 Mills Street, Bldg B, East Berlin, CT 06023 | CTNurses.org | p: (203) 238 1207 f: (203) 238 3437